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Tube Sealing Device

The tube sealing aid is a project for design for everyone. Design for everyone is a cocreation project, where students make products together with a person with a disability. This products solves problems that they experience because of their disability. For the tube sealing aid we worked together with Anthony.

Anthony is 26 years old, he has a mild mental disability and problems with fine motor control. He works in a sheltered workshop where they make chocolates.

His job is to fill tubes and close them. Because of his problems with fine motor control he is having troubles closing the tubes with the current tool. It takes in a lot of time and he result is skew and never the same. The tube sealer is the answer to this problem.

While doing some research, we saw that the problem can be divided into 2 actions. First the tube is sealed on top, afterwards the edge is folded twice. This made us realize that 2 tools could be necessary to solve the problem. For Anthony it is easier to remember what he has to do, if he has different tools for different steps.

HOW THE TUBE SEALER WORKS

First after filling, 7 tubes are placed in a holder. Then they are closed on top with one simple move. After this every tube is folded separately with the folder, and placed in a different holder. As last the tubes are placed in the closer again to make the sealing tighter.

With the tube sealing aid Anthony has the ability to close the tubes by himself. The result Is fast, clean, straight and all tubes are closed on the same height.

MATERIALS (in this case);

- Wood MDF and plywood

- Hinges

- Screws

You can choose different materials depending on the use. For Anthony the wood will be replaced with solid volkern, to respect the food safety regulations.

TOOLS

- Drill

- Drill bit, diameter of the tubes

- Saw

- Milling machine or dremel

- Cutter

- Sandpaper

- Screw driver

Step 1: Parts for the Tube Folding

PART 1 & 2

The easiest way is to make part 1 and 2 in one time and after milling cut in two parts (see drawing). The two parts will be nicely aligned. Dimensions x and y can be define by you and Z is dependent on the material thickness.

L = length of the tube

D = diameter of the tube

X = min. 2 x the lenght of the hinges + D

Y = min. L

PART 3

Small hinges with matching screws

PART 4

PVC, thickness 1 mm

Step 2: Assembly of the Tube Folding

The PVC sheet is at the front of part 2 and fixed with screws

Part 1 and 2 are put together with hinges

Step 3: Parts of the Tube Sealing

PART 5

The milling rectangle has the dimensions of part 8 and is 2 mm deep

PART 6 (2x)

Min. lenght of the tube x lenght of part 8 x thickness of the material

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9 Discussions

bravo. I applaud your ingenuity and willingness to help others succeed. So many of us, are fortunate enough to be able to take for granted, how important to the psyche it is to be productive, useful and allowed to return to a job really is. for granted, how important to the psyche it is to be productive, useful and allowed to return to a job really is. I suspect you made this fellow feel more proud and capable than he ever hoped for.